As the Al Jazeera Forum, which features Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal among other speakers defaming Israel on the gathering’s main stage, takes place in Doha, Qatari minister Nasser Al-Khelaifi was being feted by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin at another high-profile convening — Super Bowl weekend, taking place in Santa Clara, Calif. 

Al-Khelaifi is the chairman of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), one of the Qatari sovereign wealth funds that invests heavily in international sports and entertainment. Among his other titles, Al-Khelaifi is also a board member of the Qatar Investment Authority, a minister of state and the president of the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club in France and the Qatar Tennis Foundation. 

Rubin posted a picture with Al-Khelaifi from his annual Super Bowl luncheon on Instagram with the caption, “Incredible lunch with amazing people across sports, business, and culture.” 

Rubin and Al-Khelaifi have developed a friendship in recent years, including a long-term partnership between Fanatics and Paris Saint-Germain. Rubin posted a photo with Al-Khelaifi at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix last November, where he called the Qatari minister his “brother” and said, “What you did for both the city of Paris and country of Qatar is truly amazing.” The two spent time together at the World Cup finals in July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Al-Khelaifi’s team, Paris Saint-Germain, was playing Chelsea.

Al-Khelaifi also spoke at Fanatics Fest NYC last June, an event that kicked off a five-year strategic partnership between the Fanatics and Qatar’s Government Communications Office. Rubin appeared in Doha in December at the inaugural Wall Street Journal Tech Live Qatar summit. The Qatar Investment Authority, of which Al-Khelaifi is a board member, also holds a minority stake in Fanatics. 

While the Super Bowl festivities were underway, the 17th annual Al Jazeera Forum was taking place back in Doha, where Mashaal applauded the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel as having “brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of the world.” Mashaal, who resides in Doha, also hailed Qatar’s “honorable role in the [Palestinian] cause.” 

Other speakers at the forum included Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, all of whom used their speaking time to denounce Israel. Albanese, who addressed the gathering virtually, claimed all of humanity “now has a common enemy” in Israel, while Mohamud accused Israel of “preparing or positioning itself” for an attack in the region. Al Jazeera is backed by the Qatari government and ruling Al Thani family. 

Pictured alongside Rubin and Al-Khelaifi was Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC and WWE. The Qatar Investment Authority is a key investor in Emanuel’s new entertainment holding company, MARI, which raised over $2 billion last October.

Among other A-listers at Rubin’s annual lunch were NFL great Tom Brady, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, quarterback Joe Burrow, former tennis player Roger Federer, actress Emma Roberts and rappers Jay Z, Meek Mill and Travis Scott.